There are many reasons to support Cong. Mark Green in his bid to become governor. But I believe it comes down to three issues: the state budget deficit, the deterioration of the legal climate in our state and integrity.

Gov. Jim Doyle recently sent out press releases across the state claiming to have balanced the state budget during his term in office. I agree with Doyle that he inherited a significant budget deficit of approximately $3 billion when he entered office. However, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau in a recent analysis puts our deficit at $2 billion – and it may be has high as $2.6 billion. With Doyle’s 10 percent increase in state spending this year, it is not hard to understand why we continue to have a serious budget deficit in Wisconsin.

In 2005, Gov. Doyle appointed a very liberal justice, Louis Butler, to the state Supreme Court to fill a vacancy. Since Butler’s appointment, a few very important court cases have been decided by a 4-3 margin. These cases have completely changed the legal climate in Wisconsin. For example, caps on medical malpractice claims were thrown out. The constitutional amendment we passed back in 1993 to limit the expansion of gambling was essentially thrown out by Doyle’s Supreme Court. And, there are other cases that put businesses and private property in jeopardy as a result of the current court. Wisconsin has consistently rated in the top 10 states nationally in terms of a reasonable legal climate. That is now in jeopardy.

The main reason I support Mark Green, however, is integrity. Cong. Green has always represented his constituents, regardless of political affiliation, to the utmost. That is why he won his last election by an overwhelming 70-30 margin. When Mark Green tells us he will lower our tax burden or he will not run again, you can take him at his word.

Our state resembles the struggling Green Bay Packers teams of the 1980s. If you remember – oh do we remember – the Packers were so bad by the late 80s, they had the second overall draft choice one year. We drafted Tony Mandarich. We thought he was a good choice, but after a few years, he had to be released because of his lack of production. Just a few years later, the Packers cleaned house and new general manager, Ron Wolf, made the bold stroke of trading for a little known quarterback, Brett Favre. The fortunes of the franchise turned around. The citizens of Wisconsin should follow the Packers example of the early 90s and make the bold move of electing a new leader to right our ship of state, Mark Green.

I'm a little wary of him because he comes out and says he stands with the "shrub" (little bush), on this, that, and the other thing. The shrub isn't too popular now, with VERY LOW approval ratings. Why would someone want to ally with someone so un-popular? Wouldn't you want to play that affiliation down a bit?

I don't see anything in Tiffany's letter that can't be refuted. Green's record on handling budget deficits is dismal. He used to serve in the Wisconsin legislature during its wild spending and bureaucracy building days. And under Bush he has failed to even propose putting the breaks on record deficit spending.

His past record in Wisconsin and his current record in the U.S. congress put him among the worst of the worst on conservation issues.

How will Green address campaign financing and corporate manipulation of government? He would not.

Yes Doyle has his faults but if ever there was a year to choose the lesser of two evils, this is it.

If all the atheists left the United States it would lose 93% of the National Academy of Sciences but less than 1% of the prison population.